Medical treatment options for COVID-19

Abstract

Therapeutic options for coronavirus disease 2019 are desperately needed to respond to the ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic. Both antiviral drugs and immunomodulators might have their place in the management of coronavirus disease 2019. Unfortunately, no drugs have been approved yet to treat infections with human coronaviruses. As it will take years to develop new therapies for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the current focus is on the repurposing of drugs that have been approved or are in development for other conditions. Several clinical trials have already been conducted or are currently ongoing to evaluate the efficacy of such drugs. Here, we discuss the potential of these therapies for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019.